Game scoring device



July 3, 1956 M. K. SIMMONS, JR

GAME SCORING DEVICE! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1952 FIG. 2.

1 I l I 1 1 l J J Hum l l t 1 I I 20 K INVENTOR. MfiV/A/ K. SIMMONS, JG.

y 3, 1956 M. K. SIMMONS, JR 2,753,110

GAME SCORING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Mmeu/A/ K. s/mvcws, we.

ATTOEA EYS United States Patent 2,753,110 GAME SCORING DEVICE Marvin K. Simmons, Jr., Venice, Calif. Application August 29, 1952, Serial No. 307,149 1 Claim. ((31. 235-1 This invention relates to game scoring devices and more particularly to a device for recording the score of an individual player in the game of golf.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved game scoring device, particularly useful for recording scores in the game of golf, which eliminates the requirement for pencils and paper and can be quickly set to indicate the score for each hole played and the total score at any time, which has individual score recording devices, one for each of the eighteen holes of the game, and a total score recording device; which retains a record of the score for each hole played, as well as the cumulative score as the holes are successively played; which is of small size and light weight, so that it can be conveniently carried in a clothing or golf bag pocket or suspended from a golf bag or a caddy cart; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to use, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game scoring device illustrative of the invention;

Fi ure 2 is a side elevational view of the device illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a somewhat modified form of device;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the device illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional View on the line 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 5; and

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of a score indicator constituting an operative component of the modified form of the device.

With continued reference to the drawings, the scoring device illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a pair of flat face plates 10 and 11 of circular shape, each having a flat center or inner portion provided with two series of angularly spaced apart openings 12 and 13 arranged in circular patterns concentric with the center of the plate and each having a thickened marginal portion or flange, as indicated at 14 and 15 for the plates 10 and 11 respectively, extending outwardly of the outer surface of the center or inner portion of the corresponding plate. The face plates 10 and 11 are preferably of circular shape and are disposed in side by side or back to back relationship, and a separator plate 16 is disposed between the plates 10 and 11 and has a diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the plates 10 and 11, so that its peripheral edge extends only between the inner portions of the annular flange formations 14 and 15 of the face plates. The face plates and the separator plate 16 are secured together to constitute an integral body and the inner portions of the face plates in which the openings 12 and 13 are provided are separated from the separator plate 16, to provide spaces between the inner surfaces of the inner portions of the face plates and the adjacent surfaces of the separator plate, as indicated at 17 and 18.

The flange formations 14 and 15 of the face plates are spaced apart to provide a narrow groove 19 of elongated, cross sectional shape extending around the edge of the body, and a flat ring 20 is slidably disposed in the groove 19 for movement around the body constituted by the plates 10, 11 and 16.

The ring 20 has numerals 21 arranged in circular series, one on each side thereof, with the lowest numeral in one series being the numeral next above the highest numeral in the other series and the flange formations 14 and 15 are provided with view openings 22 and 23 through which one numeral of the adjacent series of numerals on the ring 20 can be seen.

The ring 20 is provided in its inner edge with a series of spaced apart, rounded notches 24, and the body at the inner edge of the notch 19 is provided with an elongated recess 25. An arched leaf spring 26 is disposed in the recess 25 and has at its mid-length location a rounded detent formation 27 which is selectively engageable in the notches 24 to hold the ring 20 in predetermined angular positions relative to the body on which the ring is mounted. The ring is provided with rounded serrations 28 around its outer edge to assist in rotating the ring about the body.

The openings 12 in the inner portions of the face plates 10 and 11 are of circular shape, and studs 30 are rotatably mounted, one in each of these openings. Discs 31 are mounted, one on each of the studs at the inner sides of the plates 10 and 11 respectively, and disposed in the spaces 17 and 18 between the face plates and the separator plate 16. Each of these discs 31 has on its side adjacent the corresponding face plate a circular series of spaced apart numerals 32 which are visible, one at a time, through the corresponding opening 13 in the face plate. The openings 13 are of elliptical or somewhat rectangular shape and of a size to expose only one of the numerals 32 at a time, and each of the studs is provided at the outer side of the adjacent face plate with a head 33 of substantially hemispherical shape and preferably exteriorly roughened to facilitate manual rotation of the studs and the corresponding discs 31. The stem portion of each stud 30 is externally fluted and the edges of the holes 12 are serrated, so that free rotation of the studs in the holes is resisted, but the studs can be rotated in a step by step manner to successively bring the numerals 32 on the discs 31 into registrywith the corresponding openings 13 in the face plates.

The openings 12 in one of the face plates are consecutively numbered from 1 to 9, as illustrated in Figure 1, and the corresponding openings in the other face plates are consecutively numbered from 10 to 18 inelusive.

As a golf game is played, the player using the scoring device, after playing the first hole of the game, will select the stud opposite the numeral 1, numbering the studs or openings in which the studs are mounted, and will rotate this stud to bring the numeral on the associated disc 31, corresponding to the number of strokes required to complete the hole, into registry with the adjacent opening 13 in the face plate. Upon completion of the second hole the player will rotate the stud adjacent the numeral 2 until the number on the associated disc, corresponding to the number of strokes required for the second hole, registers with the adjacent opening 13 and will then rotate the ring 20 relative to the body constituted by the plates 10, 11 and 16 until the numeral on the ring disposed in the view opening 22 in the associated face plate corresponds to the sum of the scores for the first two holes. This process is repeated for each hole until the first nine holes have been played. When the tenth hole has been played, the scoring device is turned over and the process continued on the opposite side, the ring 29 being moved to position in the view opening '23 a number corresponding to the total score for the first ten holes.

The device may be made of various materials suitable for the purpose, but synthetic resin materials are preferred, since they are of light weight, easy to form, "can be easily molded to provide proper shapes and smooth surfaces, can be colored or otherwise decorated to enhance the appearance of the device, and can be easily cemented together to provide a durable construction.

In the modified arrangement illustrated in Figures to inclusive, flat face plates 40 and 41 of circular shape are disposed in side by side or back to back relationship with a flat separator plate 42 therebe-tween and the two face plates and the separator plate are perma nently secured together to constitute a unitary, disc-shaped body, generally indicated at 43. a thickened marginal portion providing a flat flange '44- extending around the edge of this plate, and the plate 41 has a similar thickened marginal portion providing a flat flange 45 extending around the edge "of the plate 41 in registry with the flange formation 44 on the plate 40. The portions of the plates 40 and 41 within the circular flange formations 4d and 45 are spaced from and substantially parallel to the separator plate 42 to provide spaces 46 and 47 and each of the plates 40 and 41 is provided within the portion thereof within the corresponding annular flange formation with a series of elongated closed slots 48 disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other with their center lines substantially parallel to a single diameter of the plate. Each slot 48 has a plurality of spaced apart notches in one edge thereof and a corresponding series of notches "50 in its other edge with each notch in one edge disposed directly opposite a complementary notch in the other edge of the slot. The enlargements in the grooves are arranged in rows of enlargements aligned transversely of the grooves and the rows are numbered, as indicated at 51, from 1 to 7. Buttons, as generally indicated at 52, are slidably mounted, one in each of the slots 48 and are selectively movable into the different enlargements provided by the notches 49 and 50 to indicate the scores for corresponding holes in a game of golf, the slots being consecutively numbered from one end to the other of the series of slots, as indicated at 53, to indicate the hole corresponding to each slot.

Each of the buttons 52 comprises a shank 55 having at one end a screw threaded portion 56 and at its other end a cylindrical head "5'7 and between the head and the screw threaded portion a shoulder 58 of partly cylindrical shape having flattened opposite sides disposed substantially parallel to each other, and a nut 59 of cylindrical shape having a screw threaded recess 60 therein receiving the screw threaded portion 56 of the stem 5'5.

Before the face plates 40 and 41 are assembled with the separator plate 42 a button is secured in each 'slot 48 in each of the face plates by extending the stem portion of the button through the corresponding slot with the shoulder 58 in the slot and the head 52 at the inner side of the corresponding face plate and then threading the head 57 onto the screw threaded end portion of the stem.

When the buttons are in a predetermined rotational position in the slots, the shoulders 58 will pass through the portions of the slots between the enlargements provided by the rounded notches 49 and 50. When a button has been moved to the proper enlargement corresponding to the score for the indicated hole, the button is rotated The face plate 4-0 has through an angle of approximately degrees, so that the shoulder 58 extends into the corresponding notches 49 and 5t) and the button will then be retained in the selected position longitudinally of the corresponding slot. The rotational positions of the buttons in the slots are indicated by a diametrically extending ridge 51 provided on the outer end surface of each of the nuts 59.

The opposed annular flange portions 44 and 45 are separated to provide a deep groove 65 extending around the edge of the body 43 and a series of spaced apart, rounded detents 65 is provided on the inner surface of each flange formation 44 and 45 within the groove 65 and near the outer edge of the groove. The flange formations 44 and 45 are provided on their outer surfaces with circular series of consecutively arranged numerals, as indicated at 66, for indicating the cumulative score of the holes played in the game, and a slide 67 in the form of a U-shaped, flat spring is disposed in the groove 65 and has pointers 63 and 69 overlying the beveled outer edges of the flange formations 44 and 45 and cooperating with the numeral 66 to indicate the total score. The slide 67 is movable around the body 43 in the groove 65 and has rounded depressions in its legs which receive the detents 66 to releasably secure the slide in selected positions around the groove 65.

The use of the modified form of the device for keeping score is substantially the same as that described above for the form of the device illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the buttons 52 being set in the appropriate slot enlargements for each hole played and the total score being kept by moving the slide 67 to the proper positions around the annular groove 65.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come Within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

A game scoring device comprising a pair of face plates disposed in back to back relation and marginally secured together to provide a unitary body, each of said face plates having a thickened marginal portion constituting a flat flange, said flanges having their inner surfaces spaced apart to provide an annular groove opening to the outer periphery of said flanges, and a score registering device slidably mounted in said groove and movable about said body, said score registering device comprising a spring slide including a U-shaped spring disposed in said groove and movable therearound and pointers overlying the outer edges of said flanges movable with said spring, said flat flanges having on their inner sides series of detents spaced apart around said groove and said U-shaped spring having rounded depressions in the legs thereof for releasably engaging one of said detents and holding said slide in a selected position about said body, and each of said flanges having on its outer side a series of numerals spaced apart circumferentially of the flange and selectively cooperating with said pointers to indicate a score.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 282,725 Heiser Aug. 7, 1893 1,523,305 Spiro Ian. 13, 1925 1,614,850 OShea Jan. 18, 1927 1,934,538 Hendricks Nov. 7, 1933 2,402,525 Hathaway June 18, 1946 2,537,508 Brokaw et al Jan. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,323 Germany Feb. 29, 1880 101,123 Germany Jan. '14, 1899 

